Making Mashed Potatoes

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...mmmmm... mashed potatoes....

One of the most popular ways to cook potatoes is to mash them.  This lens offers information about types of potatoes, how to keep and store them, and lots of recipe variations for homestyle, low-fat and fancy mashed potatoes.

Do The Mashed Potato! 

It was buying vegetables at farmer's markets that first made me start to think of mashed potatoes differently. Growing up, I probably would have told you that all potatoes were large brown lumpy shapes that you ate during the winter.

However, at the farmer's market, I found golden, red, blue and purple potatoes. And the growers would often suggest different ways of cooking them. And I could buy as many or as few as I wanted, so more were eaten and less sprouted in my cupboard.

I also let go of the idea that mashed potatoes had to be pure white and fluffy. After all, the best vitamins are found in potato skins, so if you peel that part off, you've taken a lot of nutrition away from your spuds. I prefer the "smashed" potato, where the skins are left on and mashed right in with the rest of it. The superfine puree you get at fancy restaurants can be okay, but too often I miss having some actual texture in there.

Cookbooks on Mashed Potatoes (and more) 

Ultimate Potato Book: Hundreds of Ways to Turn America's Favorite Side Dish into a Meal

Amazon Price: $13.22 (as of 12/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $16.95

Usually ships in 24 hours

Totally Potato Cookbook (Totally Cookbooks)

Amazon Price: $5.95 (as of 12/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $5.95

Usually ships in 24 hours

The Potato Cookbook

Amazon Price: $12.78 (as of 12/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $14.95

Usually ships in 24 hours

The Ultimate Potato Cookbook

Amazon Price: $12.00 (as of 12/11/2009) Buy Now
List Price: $12.00

Usually ships in 2 to 4 weeks

What about Green Potatoes?

If the potato skin is green, throw it out, it's moldy and/or unhealthy to eat.

If the skin looks ok, but you see a faint greenish tint when you cut it open, the potato was stored in too much light and most-likely now tastes bitter so you won't want to eat those either.

Understanding Your Potato 

how to pick a good mashing potato

Potatoes come in a LOT of varieties. Learn what types of potatoes work best for mashing!
Cook's Thesaurus: Potatoes
Potatoes with a high starch content, like russets, bake well and yield light and fluffy mashed potatoes. Those with a low starch content, like red-skinned potatoes, hold their shape after cooking, and are great for making potato salads and scalloped potatoes. Medium starch potatoes are called all-purpose potatoes, and they'll work in most potato dishes.
Yahoo! Answers - Which are the best potatoes to use for making mashed potatoes: Red, new, russet or gold?
Which are the best potatoes to use for making mashed potatoes: Red, new, russet or gold?
Potato Nutrition & History
Types and Varieties of Potato

Mountains of Mashed Potato Goodness! 

The presentation of mashed potatoes can really change how the side dish is perceived. The perfectly-formed ice cream scoop serving can invoke a retro diner, or a lunchroom flashback. Stuffed into a pasty bag with a fancy tip, you can quickly pipe out puffs or flourishes of potato. But as you can see by the photos below, mashed potatoes go with a LOT of things!

Early turkey by swanksalot

Early turkey

090727 by tamakisono

090727

Sizzling Chicken and Cheese by Wyscan

Sizzling Chicken and...

Bangers and Mash by andybullock77

Bangers and Mash

Dinner 22/1/09 by redcherryhill

Dinner 22/1/09

lamb by stu_spivack

lamb

Creamy mashed potatoes - Est - by Julia by avlxyz

Creamy mashed potato...

Bangers and Mash by BinaryApe

Bangers and Mash

Paris mash - Smoked salmon entree - Guillaume at Bennelong by avlxyz

Paris mash - Smoked...

Seabass and garlic mashed potato by Annie Mole

Seabass and garlic m...

thanksgiving on a plate by Photos by Mavis

thanksgiving on a pl...

Mealtime by tombothetominator

Mealtime

automatically generated by Flickr

Old-School Mashed Potato Recipes 

Unpeeled, lumpy or smashed, these recipes produce what is often called "homestyle" mashed potatoes.
Springs Homestyle Mashed Potatoes Recipe
We like our mashed potatoes lumpy so that is how we make them.
Ginger Smashed Potatoes with Dill - Potato Recipes
Recipe for Ginger Smashed Potatoes With Dill - Food Reference Recipes - cooking tips, trivia, food posters & art, culinary schools, food festivals, cookbooks
Garlic Bacon Cheddar Smashed Potatoes Recipe
These decadent mashed potatoes make a super change from boring plain old mashed potatoes, while not being too weird for children to enjoy. This recipe also uses common ingredients (no searching for goat cheese or seaweed to make this recipe) and is quick and easy to make. The potatoes can be boiled in advance, cooled to room temperature, and refrigerated. Simply reheat in a large skillet or saucepan until piping hot before finishing the recipe.
Making Mashed Potatoes
The method we are illustrating is only one example. It's no secret that mashed potatoes taste better to many people when they are made with lots of cream and butter, so we don't skimp on the butter and cream in this illustration! Keep in mind that you can use as much or as little butter and cream as your tastes and dietary requirments demand.
Howstuffworks "Country-Style Mashed Potatoes"
Make the best Country-Style Mashed Potatoes with this easy recipe. Find thousands of free, expert-tested, printable recipes on HowStuffWorks.com
How to Make Great Mashed Potatoes
Mashed Potatoes, learn how to prepare great mashed potatoes in your kitchen simply and effectively.

Mashed potato videos 

follow-along video instructions


Paul McCartney making mashed potatoes

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Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

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Perfect Mashed Potatoes

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Mashed Potato

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MaryJose Recipe: Mashed Potatoes

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Mashed Potatoes: Microwave Cooking Recipe

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curated content from YouTube

Healthy & Low-Fat Recipes for Mashed Potatoes 

For those of you who are looking for a recipe that is lower in fat and calories, check out these variations! There are also some great vegan mashed potato options.
LIVING : Side Dishes : Healthy Mashed-Potatoes : DIY Network
A typical recipe for garlic mashed potatoes would produce a dish with about 200 calories and 10 grams of fat per serving. By contrast, our potatoes should have about 120 calories and only contain about 1.5 grams of fat for the same serving size
Thanksgiving Recipes: Mashed Potatoes
Cut down on extra calories this Thanksgiving by serving this healthy mashed-potato side dish.
Garlic mashed potatoes
Garlic mashed potatoes - one of many healthy recipes from Mayo Clinic.
Recipe for healthy mashed-potatoes without butter or margarine.
Although this works out to 4-5 grams of fat per serving, it is not the hydrogenated fat of commercial margarine or the animal fat of butter. Experiment with reducing canola oil and increasing soya milk if you wish to lower fat.
The Vegan Chef - Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes - Vegan Recipes
The home page for chef Beverly Lynn Bennett, featuring deliciously healthy and innovative vegan recipes, as well as a vegan message board. As a vegan, Beverly doesn't use any dairy products in any of her recipes, and they aren't missed at all.
Whole Foods Market : Recipes : Garlic and Herb Mashed Potatoes
This vegan version uses unsweetened soymilk, rice milk or vegetable stock instead of milk or half-and-half.

For A Smoother Mash:

1.Peel the potatoes.
2.Make sure they are cooked all the way through.
3.Mash with a ricer or puree in a blender.
4.Add more milk.

Fancy-Schmancy Mashed Potato Recipes 

Here are some mashed potato recipes where the preparation and the ingredients get fancier than the everyday mashed spud.
Roasted Garlic and Basil Smashed Potatoes Recipe: Recipes: Food Network
Enjoy this Roasted Garlic and Basil Smashed Potatoes recipe from Sara's Secrets
Mashed potatoes with sage and white cheddar cheese
Find delicious cheese recipes, like mashed potatoes with sage and white cheddar cheese, and other American recipes at Epicurious.com
Perfect Entertaining - Recipe for Light and Fluffy Mashed Potatoes.
These potatoes are silky smooth, with no lumps, and are rich with butter and milk or cream resulting in a light and fluffy dish that is just fantastic.
Golden Mashed Potatoes with Truffle Butter Recipe | Food & Wine
A recipe for Golden Mashed Potatoes with Truffle Butter. Dishes created by Food & Wine Magazine and top chefs.
Loaded Mashed Potatoes Recipe - LoveToKnow Recipes
The process for making potatoes purée is the most dependable and consistent method for getting creamy, fluffy mashed potatoes. And, of course, if you are making a loaded mashed potatoes recipe, you want to start with the best potato purée you could get.
Roast Shallot and Potato Puree with Red Pepper
GMA Recipe: Roast Shallot and Potato Puree with Red Pepper from Charlie Palmer on Good Morning America.

Mashing Messages! 

Got a recipe variation or mashed potato trick you'd like to share?

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